world of love

Beginner's Guide To
On Line Dating

This guide was originally created 6 years ago when I myself was an absolute beginner at computers and the internet. Over the past few months I once again found myself as a novice in a different world - the world of on line dating. This new section was created to help point you in the right direction.

  1. Match.com - If you've never seen the ubiquitous ads for this particular dating site, you ain't been surfing. Although it is not the best program for matching, it does get my nod as best site simply because it has more potential dates than any other site of its kind. Like most (if not all) dating sites initial membership is free. HOWEVER if you actually want to contact another member, you have to pay for the privilege. I was a member at Match.com for the minimal one month ($24.95). You can be a member for a whole year at only $99.95!!! What a saving!!! ... but ... gee that's a little pessimistic, don't you think?

    So how'd the month go? I chose to contact only 4 women. One wrote back that she wasn't interested in me :( I got as far as a phone call with another woman, but the conversation pretty much sounded like this ---------- "thud". I did date the other two women that I contacted, and they were both nice enough to ask out a second time. (It's tempting to tell my life story now, but I'll leave it at that.)

  2. Kiss.com - has fewer potential dates but is the most interesting program. I actually spent 3 months there. I contacted about .... hmmm ... 40 women, spoke to about 10 of them on the phone, but only actually dated 4 of them. Kiss is by far the most active site in my opinion and worth the trip of a free trial membership. As with Match.com you have to join to contact other members (once again $24.95 for a single month). Since I was a member for so long, I'll give you all a few tips. Don't write to trial members. (They can't read your letter, AND if you include your real e-mail address in your letter, Kiss will make it look like it was read when it wasn't!) Okay, so it was just one tip :(, BUT ... I'll include some general tips further down :)

  3. Eharmony.com - is a site where you can spend a lot of time answering a lot of questions before finding out that their ultrasophisticated program will not work for you because you are only "separated" and not divorced or single or widowed.

  4. CupidJunction.com is a good example of a worthless dating site. I am sure there are many more out there, but you don't need me to find them all.

  5. Cupid.com "is backed by a massive radio campaign bringing in thousands of new singles for you to meet everyday". Yep, I've heard the ads. This site has the poorest slowest server, the most pop up ads, and the worst quality photos of any dating site that I've visited.

  6. Matchmaker.com is the last worthwhile site that I've visited. It doesn't have the specific matching capabilities of Kiss.com, but it has something that absolutely no other site has ever offered me before - a truly free one week trial. Match.com pretends to offer this but insists on your credit card number before they tack a stinking week onto the beginning of your paying membership. Every site will let you register for free BUT will NOT let you contact anyone unless you finally pay for a month's membership. I joined for the one week free trial and was actually quite happy with every aspect of their service. I contacted and was contacted by quite a few women, spoke with 2 by phone, and may meet one of them soon. Matchmaker.com has also been good about NOT sending me follow-up e-mails with links to "new members I might be interested in meeting", AND (the only commercial ad of any kind ever published in my entire guide) if anyone goes to matchmaker through my link and ever actually purchases a membership beyond the trial period, I receive a share of the profit :)

On Line Dating Tips

  1. A photo means just about nothing at all. True a picture is worth a thousand words, but they may not be true words. Is the picture from 20 years ago? Is the picture blurry or unclear somehow? Why is that? In my experience 3 women looked better than their picture, and 3 looked appreciably worse.
  2. A phone call tells you twice as much as emails and online chatting ever can. By all means be circumspect about giving out your phone number, but a phone call really is the next best thing to being there.
  3. Don't fall in love until you actually meet the person in the flesh. That sure sounds like a silly rule, doesn't it? You won't listen to me though. Go ahead - follow your heart. It's your nickel (or more).
  4. Be nice.
  5. At the very least on line dating is a good forum for meeting people. Maybe you won't find the love of your life. Maybe you will. I found that you can get garlic already chopped up in little glass jars. If that's not worth $24.95, what is?

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